Lottery Method and System

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are a method, system, and computer program product for conducting a lottery in conjunction with a communications network. The method conducts a lottery tournament among a plurality of entries, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information, including a gaming token. In particular, the method organises a tournament draw among the plurality of entries, wherein the tournament draw provides a schedule of knockout matches for the entries. The schedule includes a plurality of rounds of matches, each match being a contest between a plurality of the entries. For each round of matches, the method determines a winner for each match in the round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm and the gaming tokens. Each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of matches in the schedule, and the method identifies a winner of a final round match of the schedule as a winner of the lottery tournament.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the right of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 based on Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2011900656 entitled “Lottery method and system”, filed on 24 Feb. 2011 in the name of Anthony Robert Farah, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. The Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to a method and system for conducting a lottery.

2. The Relevant Technology

Lotteries are typically conducted as games of chance. Tickets in the lottery are purchased by one or more persons, wherein each ticket provides the ticket holder with a chance of winning a prize associated with the lottery. A winning ticket or combination is drawn and prizes are distributed among the ticket holders.

A simple form of lottery is a raffle. Tickets in the raffle are purchased by persons hopeful of winning a prize, wherein each ticket has an equal chance of winning. To improve a person's chances of winning, the person simply purchases more tickets. Each ticket in the raffle has a corresponding “lot”. Once a predetermined number of tickets has been sold or a predetermined time is reached, a neutral body draws one or more lots from the set of lots corresponding to the sold tickets and prizes are distributed to the persons holding tickets corresponding to the drawn lots. Raffles are well suited to implementation in confined environments such as amongst sport clubs and similar community organizations. Some charities conduct raffles with significant prizes and operate on a national level. Nevertheless, with wide scale raffles the same modus operandi prevails, excepting often the time over which the raffle operates is much longer, such as 3-6 months, compared to community raffles that could be conducted over short periods, such as 1 hour or a week.

Some lotteries sell tickets in an electronic manner and can have hundreds of thousands of tickets with just as many participants. A draw is performed when all tickets are sold. A fundamental problem with traditional lotteries is how to choose a winner of a draw. The classic solution to this problem is that the lottery provider selects a key that is compared against the tickets. This is the “draw”. In the community environment, the bona fides of the lottery may be established by a draw of a number “out of a hat”, but for commercial operations, use of a random number generator is now ubiquitous.

One type of lottery operates as a guessing contest, in which a ticket purchaser buys a number of games. Each game provides the purchaser with one guess at the winning combination. In a popular lottery format commonly referred to as “Lotto”, a set of possible tokens is predefined. The lottery draw occurs at a predefined time, which may correspond, for example, to the time at which a predefined number of tickets is sold, the time at which a minimum prize pool is achieved, or may be a regular time of the week, month, or year. Some lottery draws are scheduled to coincide with significant events, such as New Year's Day, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, and the like. The lottery draw selects a predefined number of winning tokens from the set of possible tokens. The aim of the game is for the ticket purchaser to guess the winning tokens by nominating before the draw occurs which of the set of possible tokens will be drawn. Some implementations enable a purchaser to improve the chances of selecting the winning tokens by nominating more than the predefined number of tokens to be drawn.

In one particular example, the set of tokens consists of the set of integers from 1 to 42 and the winning set of tokens consists of six tokens selected from the set of tokens. In a basic game, a ticket purchaser nominates six tokens from the set of integers from 1 to 42. The lottery may also enable a ticket purchaser to nominate more than the minimum number of 6 tokens, in an attempt to improve the chances to matching the winning set of tokens. This option may be provided at an additional cost, wherein the cost is dependent upon the relative increase in the chance of winning.

Lotteries can provide substantial prize pools. As significant sums of money are often involved, it is important that ticket purchasers have a high degree of confidence that the lottery is being drawn in a random manner by a neutral body. Lotteries are often operated or at least regulated by governments or government agencies to provide the public with confidence that the operator of the lottery is distributing the advertised prizes and the prizes are allocated in an ethical and transparent manner. In order to instill confidence in ticket purchasers, some lottery draws are televised live before one or more third-party auditors. This is done to maximize the transparency of the lottery draw and provide the ticket purchasers with confidence that the lottery is legitimate. A “Lotto” draw for example uses 45 numbered balls within a transparent container in which 6 balls are selected whilst the balls are mixed in a random fashion by blasts of air, emulating operation of a random number generator.

Communication networks have permeated many areas of modern life. Commerce conducted over communication networks, such as the Internet, has continued to grow as consumers experience successful transactions. These successful transactions are supported by various secure billing systems, which provide the purchasers with confidence that fraudulent transactions can be challenged or remedied.

‘Keno” is an example of a game similar to “Lotto”, but in which participants typically play whilst present in registered clubs, with the game and the draw being communicated amongst various clubs for witnessing by at least the participants via public display screens. The Keno draw is performed by a centralized random number generator at regular intervals regardless of the number of participants. As with the “Lotto” game, government regulators or the like manage the random number generators to ensure a minimum level of randomness to thus instill public confidence that the game is being played in a legitimate manner. Further, participants derive some level of confidence in the integrity of the game by virtue of the game being conducted or played only in one or more registered clubs. Prizes from individual games may carry-over, or “jackpot”, to subsequent games where there is no winner of an individual game.

Conducting a lottery in an online environment, such as the Internet, provides many challenges. One challenge is to provide potential ticket purchasers with the confidence that the lottery is real and that the lottery will be drawn in a fair and legal way such that all legitimate winners are paid their respective prizes. This is particularly difficult in the modern online environment in which people may adopt multiple personas through multiple log-ins, avatars, or profiles. People are often skeptical as to whether a prize has really been awarded, particularly with the Internet providing a ready means of communication over many national borders. Further, there are many fraudulent schemes propagated through emails known as “spam” and it is difficult for people to identify legitimate online gaming opportunities from scams.

Random number generators used for gaming are complex and are open to scrutiny. Regulators usually establish standards by which such devices operate to provide for fair play. However, no such device is truly random, only pseudo-random and those standards and their management and maintenance is not open to public scrutiny, which can erode the legitimacy of gaming reliant upon such devices, particularly in an on-line environment.

Thus, a need exists to provide an improved lottery method and system for facilitating conduct of a lottery over a communications network.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present disclosure to overcome substantially, or at least ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of existing arrangements.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a lottery tournament server including a memory for storing data and a computer program, and a processor coupled to the memory for executing the computer program stored in the memory. The server also includes a ticketing module, being a component of the computer program and executable by the processor, for issuing a plurality of entries in a lottery tournament in response to a plurality of requests received via a communications link from at least one remote computing device. Each entry is associated with ticketing information, wherein the ticketing information includes at least one gaming token selected from a limited number of gaming tokens. The server further includes a database, a tournament module, and a gaming engine. The database stores player information and ticketing information relating to each entry in the lottery tournament, and the tournament module is a component of the computer program and executable by the processor to organize a tournament draw among the plurality of entries. The tournament draw provides a schedule of knockout matches between the entries. The schedule includes at least two rounds of matches, each match being a contest between a limited plurality of the plurality of the entries. The gaming engine is a component of the computer program and is executable by the processor in conjunction with the stored ticketing information to determine, for each round of matches, a winner for each match in the round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm and the gaming tokens, wherein each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of matches in the schedule. The gaming engine ultimately identifies a winner of a final round match of the schedule as a winner of the lottery tournament.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-implemented method of conducting a lottery tournament among a plurality of entries, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information. The ticketing information includes at least one gaming token. The method includes the steps of: organizing a tournament draw among the plurality of entries, the tournament draw providing a schedule of knockout matches for the entries, wherein the schedule includes at least one round of matches, each match being a contest between a plurality of the entries; for each round of matches, determining a winner for each match in the round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm and the gaming tokens, wherein each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of matches in the schedule; and identifying a winner of a final round match of the schedule as a winner of the lottery tournament.

According to a yet further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a lottery tournament system comprising: at least one remote computing device; and a lottery tournament server for conducting a lottery tournament among a plurality of entries. The server includes: a memory for storing data and a computer program; a processor coupled to the memory for executing the computer program stored in the memory; and a gaming application forming part of the computer program. The gaming application including instructions for performing the steps of: receiving a plurality of requests for entries in the lottery tournament from the at least one computing device; issuing a plurality of entries in a lottery tournament in response the plurality of requests, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information, the ticketing information including at least one gaming token; organizing a tournament draw among the plurality of entries, the tournament draw providing a schedule of knockout matches for the entries, wherein the schedule includes at least one round of matches, each match being a contest between a plurality of the entries; for each round of matches, determining a winner for each match in the round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm and the gaming tokens, wherein each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of matches in the schedule; and identifying a winner of a final round match of the schedule as a winner of the lottery tournament.

According to yet a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-implemented method of utilizing a winning key distributed among a plurality of entries to conduct a lottery tournament among the entries, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information. The ticketing information includes at least one gaming token. The method organizes a tournament draw among the plurality of entries, wherein the tournament draw provides a schedule of matches for the entries. The schedule includes at least one round of matches, each match being a contest between a plurality of the entries. Further, each combination of a gaming token associated with an entry and a position of that entry in the tournament represents a portion of the winning key. The method then identifies a winner of the lottery tournament based on the winning key.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for implementing any one of the aforementioned methods.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for implementing any one of the methods described above.

Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of conducting a lottery according to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2A and 2B form a schematic block diagram of a general purpose computer system upon which arrangements described can be practiced; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram representation of a lottery tournament according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram representation of a lottery tournament system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram representation of a lottery tournament draw according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram representation of a lottery tournament draw according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a ticket in a lottery tournament draw according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram representation of a lottery tournament draw according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates the time of operation of a tournament in an alternate implementation top that of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Where reference is made in any one or more of the accompanying drawings to steps and/or features that have the same reference numerals, those steps and/or features have for the purposes of this description the same function(s) or operation(s), unless the contrary intention appears.

The present disclosure provides a method, system, and computer program product for conducting a lottery in a networked communications environment. Rather than relying on the legitimacy of a central body to draw the winning lots or numbers, the method and system of the present disclosure provide participants in a lottery with a degree of confidence in the legitimacy of the lottery competition by matching participants in the lottery against one another in a lottery tournament. The lottery tournament is implemented in conjunction with at least one predefined game to identify a winner from among the participants.

The presently disclosed arrangements, in order to instill confidence in the legitimacy of the lottery, distribute a winning key utilized to identify a winner of a lottery tournament amongst all participants. Each combination of a participant token for game play and a position of that token in the tournament represents a portion of the winning key, as each participant token is drawn against one or more other participant tokens in one or more matches of the lottery tournament. Thus, lottery tournaments in accordance with the presently disclosed arrangements provide a distributed key for identifying the winner. Further, each portion of the winning key is optionally verifiable by communicating with or studying information associated with the participants drawn against one another in a particular match, either before or after the match is conducted.

The lottery tournament includes one or more rounds of matches, wherein each match is a contest among participants, with the winner being identified in accordance with a predefined game associated with that match. The final round of the lottery tournament includes a single match. A predefined game is associated with each round of matches, such that the predefined game is able to identify a single winner for each match in that particular round. Thus, the number of participants in a single match is limited by the characteristics of the predefined game that is being applied to that match. In one implementation, each match is contested between two participants and accordingly the predefined game must be capable of identifying a winner from between the two participants.

The interaction of the participants among themselves in the conduct of the matches provides a level of confidence to the participants that the lottery tournament is being conducted in a legitimate manner to identify a winner. The level of confidence among participants with respect to the legitimacy of the lottery may be increased by providing means for interaction among the participants, such as through email or other social media networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, or the like.

It is reassuring to a participant in the lottery tournament to be able to see the other players' histories, pictures, social connections and locations. However, the verification of internet personas or users is a new and developing field. It may be suspected that certain internet users may be members of an interest group promoting an undisclosed agenda. As a result, technologies are developing to detect such users through the observation of their internet behavior and their connections with other users. These technologies are even more effective if performed from the server itself, as from the server the IP address, email address and other personal details can be used to improve the detection rate of non-genuine users. By excluding non-genuine users and avoiding that a user has a bad or suspicious experience, the online lottery provider can ensure that all the users are real and therefore that all the interactions between users are realistic and therefore reassuring.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram that illustrates the functionality of an embodiment of a lottery tournament 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. The lottery tournament 100 begins at a Start step 105 and proceeds to a step 110, which offers for sale a plurality of entries in the lottery tournament. Step 110 may optionally be associated with various marketing activities and promotions to stimulate interest in the lottery tournament. Such marketing activities and promotions may include, for example, advertising in various media, such as print media, television, and online communities. For example, a promoter of a lottery tournament may set up a homepage on an Internet website or in conjunction with one or more social media websites such as My Space, Facebook, or Twitter.

The number of entries available for purchase in an instance of a lottery tournament may depend on multiple factors. In one implementation, there is a fixed number of entries and the time period for purchasing entries extends until all of the entries are sold. In another implementation, there is a fixed time period during which entries in a lottery tournament may be purchased. A fixed time period for purchasing entries may be necessary, for example, when a lottery draw is scheduled to occur at a fixed time. For example, a lottery draw may be scheduled to coincide with a periodic lottery schedule, such as daily, weekly, or monthly. Alternatively, a lottery draw may be scheduled to coincide with a festive occasion or important historical date, such as Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, St Valentine's Day, New Year's Day, etc.

Each entry is associated with ticketing information. The ticketing information includes a gaming token relating to the game that is being utilized by the lottery tournament to discriminate among participants. In one implementation, the gaming token associated with each entry is allocated by the promoter of the lottery tournament. In another implementation, the gaming token is selectable by the participant at the time of purchase of the entry in the lottery tournament. In a further implementation, a participant chooses whether to select a gaming token or may have the gaming token allocated by a random (number) generator.

The value and form of the gaming token depends on the game that is being utilized by the lottery tournament. In one example, the game is Rock/Paper/Scissors and the gaming token corresponds to one of rock, paper, and scissors, being a limited number of selectable or assignable tokens.

In another example, the game utilized to discriminate among participants is the gaming method described in International Patent Publication No. WO 2010/015039 A1 (Anthony Robert Farah), from which U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/021,503 and Australian Patent Application No. 2010200417 are derived, wherein each gaming token includes a gaming table, which the participant populates with a set of predefined elements, such as numbers. During the tournament, the gaming tokens associated with the entries are utilized in conjunction with the game to determine winners of each round of matches. In the specific implementation described therein, the table is a 3×3 sized table of single digit integer values (i.e. 0-9), giving 9! (=362880) number of possible combinations for a table. A (first) participant populates a table for game play of the first participant, and also a second table as an attempt to match the game play of another participant. Those two tables form a “token” in the game. A (second) participant does the same, and the four tables are cross-matched to numerically determine a winner between the two participants. Essentially, the participant whose second table best matches the game table of the other participant, is the winner. The level or degree of match may be assessed by a predetermined algorithm to give a matching score for the participant, which is then compared with the matching score of the other participant. In spite of the large number of available tokens, arguably each participant has a 50% chance of winning a match. In comparison to many prior art lotteries and the like, this arrangement still only uses a limited number of values, particularly given implementations where the values associated with the table are selected by the participant, or when allocated, only a relatively simple random number generator need be employed. Further, and importantly, the “winner” is determined from values or elements entered by the participant, not for example a random number generator.

In a further example, the predefined game used to identify a winner from between two participants in a match is based on Lotto. Each participant provides a first set of 6 numbers selected from the pool of 45 numbers as a “guess” and a second set of 6 numbers selected from the pool of 45 numbers as a “solution”. The first and second sets of numbers may include one or more numbers common to both sets. The “guess” of the first participant is compared to the “solution” of the second participant and the “guess” of the second participant is compared to the “solution” of the first participant. The participant whose “guess” best matches the other participant's “solution” is identified as the winner of that match.

The ticketing information may optionally include a unique ticket identifier, which can be utilized to validate the authenticity of an entry. In one implementation, the unique ticket identifier is a serial number allocated to each entry. In a basic implementation, the ticket identifier is an integer corresponding to the number of the entry in the lottery. In another implementation, the ticket identifier incorporates one or more authentication devices, such as a checksum, to assist in authenticating the entry and to make counterfeiting of entries more difficult to produce or use.

The ticketing information may also optionally include a profile relating to the purchaser of the respective entry. The profile can include, for example, statistics relating to the frequency of participation by the purchaser in lottery tournaments and game play statistics relating to the gaming tokens that the purchaser has used in previous lottery tournaments. The profile can also include links to a webpage associated with the purchaser, or links to external profiles associated with the purchaser on various online social media networks.

In one embodiment, a person wanting to enter the lottery sends a request from a computing device over a communications link to a server hosting the lottery during a ticket selling period. The request provides the necessary gaming information and financial information to complete and purchase an entry. The server issues an entry in the lottery. In one implementation, the server sends ticketing information associated with the entry to the user by a Short Message Service (SMS) message or by email. The user can view the ticketing information on a display of a computing device and can optionally print the ticketing information to produce a printed ticket. Alternatively, the user can access the server and view the entry by providing one or more sources of identification, which may include, for example, the ticket identifier or a user identifier and/or password associated with that particular user.

Returning to FIG. 1, once the entry selling period has expired, control passes to step 115, which organizes a tournament draw among the entries purchased in the lottery tournament. As indicated above, the lottery tournament is implemented in conjunction with at least one game that is utilized to determine a winner from among the entries in the lottery tournament. The manner in which the tournament draw is organized is dependent upon the game or games that are utilized in each implementation of the lottery tournament. The tournament draw defines a number of matches over a number of rounds to determine a winner of the lottery tournament. The number of rounds that are required for a particular instance of the lottery tournament is dependent upon the number of entries and the game that is used to identify a winner of each match.

One implementation utilizes a game to identify a winner between two entries, and a plurality of entries corresponding to a power of 2 are sold. This provides 2^(n) entries, where n is an integer, to be organized into an even number of matches. As such, each match is between a limited plurality of the plurality of entries. In such an implementation, the tournament draw includes n rounds of matches to identify a winner. Accordingly, step 115 pairs the entries against each other in a series of (2^(n)/2¹) first round matches, (2^(n)/2²) second round matches, . . . , (2^(n)/2^(n)=1) final round matches. In the event that there are not exactly 2^(n) entries, the tournament draw is arranged to accommodate one or more byes. The byes may be allocated randomly or based on ticketing information associated with the entries. In one example, an entry associated with a regular player registered with the tournament promoter is provided with preferential access to a bye over an entry associated with a player that is not registered with the tournament promoter.

Another implementation utilizes a game that is capable of identifying a winner from among a limited plurality of entries. In such an implementation, each match in a given round of the lottery tournament may include two, three, or more entries. The actual number of entries in each match depends on the particular game associated with that match. The number of entries in each match, as well as the details of the game, may change in each round. A lottery tournament may include a plurality of gaming phases, wherein each gaming phase includes at least one round of matches and each gaming phase is associated with a gaming method.

In an alternative arrangement, the tournament draw is predefined before the ticket selling period commences, based upon a predefined number of tickets being available in the lottery. In such an arrangement, an optional implementation enables a purchaser of an entry to select a position or slot in the tournament draw when purchasing an entry.

Control passes from step 115 to step 120, which determines a winner for each match in the first round of the tournament draw. In the example in which there are 2^(n) entries organized in conjunction with a game that identifies a winner between 2 entries in each match, step 120 identifies 2^(n)/2¹ winners for the first round. Control passes from step 120 to decision step 125, which determines whether the tournament draw contains more than one entry that is still alive in the lottery tournament. If there is more than one entry alive in the tournament draw, Yes, control returns to step 120, which determines the winners of the next round of matches in the tournament. In accordance with the tournament draw organized in step 115, the winners of the first round of matches compete against each other in a second round of 2^(n)/2² matches. The iterative process of determining winners for each round of matches continues from step 120 to step 125 until the final round in which there is a single match between the two entries that remain alive in the tournament draw. When step 120 determines the winner of the match in the final round, control passes to step 125, which determines that the draw does not contain more than one alive entry, No, and control passes from step 125 to step 130. Step 130 determines that the one alive entry is the winner of the lottery tournament. Control passes from step 130 to End step 135 and the lottery tournament 100 terminates.

As indicated above, the number of rounds that are required for a particular instance of the lottery tournament is dependent upon the number of entries and the game that is used to identify a winner of each match. In another example, the method organizes a tournament draw wherein each match has three entries and the method utilizes a game that is capable of identifying a winner among three entries. A match can include any chosen number of entries, provided that a game is utilized that can identify a winner from that chosen number of entries.

In the example described above with reference to FIG. 1 in which the tournament draw is organized into matches between two entries, a game that identifies a winner between two entries is required. Such a game may be Rock/Paper/Scissors, in which each entry is associated with a token of Rock, Paper, or Scissors. Various methods may be utilized to handle situations in which both entries are associated with the same token. For example, each entry may be further associated with an entry identifier and the winner may be based upon the entry identifier. In an alternative embodiment, each entry is associated with a profile of the purchaser and the winner of a “tied” match may be determined based upon other attributes associated with the purchasers of the relevant entries. In an alternative embodiment, “tied” matches are determined by a random number generator. The actual games used to determine the winner of each match and the handling of “tied” matches may vary across different applications of the lottery tournament and many games may equally be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Alternatively, the match can be deemed a tie, and both entries progress into the next round represented by the gaming token of one or the other. Any prizes are then shared between the two entries.

As indicated above with respect to the lottery tournament of FIG. 1, each entry may be associated with a profile relating to the purchaser of that entry. In one implementation, a first purchaser of a first entry in an instance of a lottery tournament is able to view a profile associated with a second purchaser of a second entry against which the first entry is drawn in a match of the lottery tournament. In one example, the first and second purchaser are able to communicate with one another before the match in which their respective entries are competing is conducted. This provides the purchasers of entries in a lottery tournament with greater confidence that the entries are legitimate and have been purchased by real people. In one implementation, the profile of a purchaser of an entry provides one or more links to a social media website, such as My Space, Facebook, Twitter, etc., or to a website associated with the purchaser.

Because of the tournament approach to lotteries according to the present disclosure, and also the relatively limited number of tokens or values available for game play, any use of random number generators is at most minor and not ultimately determinative of the game outcome. Any use of random number generators is only to help the user to complete their ticket by giving them completed tickets that they may select or modify. Importantly, the ultimate game outcome arises from tournament play between a number of human participants and the game tokens associated with each.

FIGS. 2A and 2B depict a general-purpose computer system 200, upon which the various arrangements described can be practiced.

As seen in FIG. 2A, the computer system 200 includes: a computer module 201; input devices such as a keyboard 202, a mouse pointer device 203, a scanner 226, a camera 227, and a microphone 280; and output devices including a printer 215, a display device 214 and loudspeakers 217. An external Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device 216 may be used by the computer module 201 for communicating to and from a communications network 220 via a connection 221. The communications network 220 may be a wide-area network (WAN), such as the Internet, a cellular telecommunications network, or a private WAN. Where the connection 221 is a telephone line, the modem 216 may be a traditional “dial-up” modem. Alternatively, where the connection 221 is a high capacity (e.g., cable) connection, the modem 216 may be a broadband modem. A wireless modem may also be used for wireless connection to the communications network 220.

The computer module 201 typically includes at least one processor unit 205, and a memory unit 206. For example, the memory unit 206 may have semiconductor random access memory (RAM) and semiconductor read only memory (ROM). The computer module 201 also includes an number of input/output (I/O) interfaces including: an audio-video interface 207 that couples to the video display 214, loudspeakers 217 and microphone 280; an I/O interface 213 that couples to the keyboard 202, mouse 203, scanner 226, camera 227 and optionally a joystick or other human interface device (not illustrated); and an interface 208 for the external modem 216 and printer 215. In some implementations, the modem 216 may be incorporated within the computer module 201, for example within the interface 208. The computer module 201 also has a local network interface 211, which permits coupling of the computer system 200 via a connection 223 to a local-area communications network 222, known as a Local Area Network (LAN). As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the local communications network 222 may also couple to the wide network 220 via a connection 224, which would typically include a so-called “firewall” device or device of similar functionality. The local network interface 211 may comprise an Ethernet™ circuit card, a Bluetooth™ wireless arrangement or an IEEE 802.11 wireless arrangement; however, numerous other types of interfaces may be practiced for the interface 211.

The I/O interfaces 208 and 213 may afford either or both of serial and parallel connectivity, the former typically being implemented according to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standards and having corresponding USB connectors (not illustrated). Storage devices 209 are provided and typically include a hard disk drive (HDD) 210. Other storage devices such as a floppy disk drive and a magnetic tape drive (not illustrated) may also be used. An optical disk drive 212 is typically provided to act as a non-volatile source of data. Portable memory devices, such optical disks (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray Disc™), USB-RAM, portable, external hard drives, and floppy disks, for example, may be used as appropriate sources of data to the system 200.

The components 205 to 213 of the computer module 201 typically communicate via an interconnected bus 204 and in a manner that results in a conventional mode of operation of the computer system 200 known to those in the relevant art. For example, the processor 205 is coupled to the system bus 204 using a connection 218. Likewise, the memory 206 and optical disk drive 212 are coupled to the system bus 204 by connections 219. Examples of computers on which the described arrangements can be practiced include IBM-PCs and compatibles, Sun Sparcstations, Apple Mac™, or alike computer systems.

The method of conducting a lottery tournament may be implemented using the computer system 200 wherein the processes of FIGS. 1 and 3 to 8, described herein, may be implemented as one or more software application programs 233 executable within the computer system 200. In particular, the steps of the method of conducting a lottery tournament are effected by instructions 231 (see FIG. 2B) in the software 233 that are carried out within the computer system 200. The software instructions 231 may be formed as one or more code modules, each for performing one or more particular tasks. The software may also be divided into two separate parts, in which a first part and the corresponding code modules performs the entry selling, tournament draw organizing, and winner determining methods and a second part and the corresponding code modules manage a user interface between the first part and the user.

The software 233 is typically stored in the HDD 210 or the memory 206. The software is loaded into the computer system 200 from a computer readable medium, and executed by the computer system 200. Thus, for example, the software 233 may be stored on an optically readable disk storage medium (e.g., CD-ROM) 225 that is read by the optical disk drive 212. A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded on it is a computer program product. The use of the computer program product in the computer system 200 preferably effects an apparatus for conducting a lottery tournament in an online environment, such as provided by one or more networked communications devices.

In some instances, the application programs 233 may be supplied to the user encoded on one or more CD-ROMs 225 and read via the corresponding drive 212, or alternatively may be read by the user from the networks 220 or 222. Still further, the software can also be loaded into the computer system 200 from other computer readable media. Computer readable storage media refers to any non-transitory tangible storage medium that provides recorded instructions and/or data to the computer system 200 for execution and/or processing. Examples of such storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, a hard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, USB memory, a magneto-optical disk, or a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA card and the like, whether or not such devices are internal or external of the computer module 201. Examples of transitory or non-tangible computer readable transmission media that may also participate in the provision of software, application programs, instructions and/or data to the computer module 201 include radio or infra-red transmission channels as well as a network connection to another computer or networked device, and the Internet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions and information recorded on Websites and the like.

The second part of the application programs 233 and the corresponding code modules mentioned above may be executed to implement one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to be rendered or otherwise represented upon the display 214. Through manipulation of typically the keyboard 202 and the mouse 203, a user of the computer system 200 and the application may manipulate the interface in a functionally adaptable manner to provide controlling commands and/or input to the applications associated with the GUI(s). Other forms of functionally adaptable user interfaces may also be implemented, such as an audio interface utilizing speech prompts output via the loudspeakers 217 and user voice commands input via the microphone 280.

FIG. 2B is a detailed schematic block diagram of the processor 205 and a “memory” 234. The memory 234 represents a logical aggregation of all the memory modules (including the HDD 209 and semiconductor memory 206) that can be accessed by the computer module 201 in FIG. 2A.

When the computer module 201 is initially powered up, a power-on self-test (POST) program 250 executes. The POST program 250 is typically stored in a ROM 249 of the semiconductor memory 206 of FIG. 2A. A hardware device such as the ROM 249 storing software is sometimes referred to as firmware. The POST program 250 examines hardware within the computer module 201 to ensure proper functioning and typically checks the processor 205, the memory 234 (209, 206), and a basic input-output systems software (BIOS) module 251, also typically stored in the ROM 249, for correct operation. Once the POST program 250 has run successfully, the BIOS 251 activates the hard disk drive 210 of FIG. 2A. Activation of the hard disk drive 210 causes a bootstrap loader program 252 that is resident on the hard disk drive 210 to execute via the processor 205. This loads an operating system 253 into the RAM memory 206, upon which the operating system 253 commences operation. The operating system 253 is a system level application, executable by the processor 205, to fulfill various high level functions, including processor management, memory management, device management, storage management, software application interface, and generic user interface.

The operating system 253 manages the memory 234 (209, 206) to ensure that each process or application running on the computer module 201 has sufficient memory in which to execute without colliding with memory allocated to another process. Furthermore, the different types of memory available in the system 200 of FIG. 2A must be used properly so that each process can run effectively. Accordingly, the aggregated memory 234 is not intended to illustrate how particular segments of memory are allocated (unless otherwise stated), but rather to provide a general view of the memory accessible by the computer system 200 and how such is used.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the processor 205 includes a number of functional modules including a control unit 239, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 240, and a local or internal memory 248, sometimes called a cache memory. The cache memory 248 typically include a number of storage registers 244-246 in a register section. One or more internal busses 241 functionally interconnect these functional modules. The processor 205 typically also has one or more interfaces 242 for communicating with external devices via the system bus 204, using a connection 218. The memory 234 is coupled to the bus 204 using a connection 219.

The application program 233 includes a sequence of instructions 231 that may include conditional branch and loop instructions. The program 233 may also include data 232 which is used in execution of the program 233. The instructions 231 and the data 232 are stored in memory locations 228, 229, 230 and 235, 236, 237, respectively. Depending upon the relative size of the instructions 231 and the memory locations 228-230, a particular instruction may be stored in a single memory location as depicted by the instruction shown in the memory location 230. Alternatively, an instruction may be segmented into a number of parts each of which is stored in a separate memory location, as depicted by the instruction segments shown in the memory locations 228 and 229.

In general, the processor 205 is given a set of instructions which are executed therein. The processor 1105 waits for a subsequent input, to which the processor 205 reacts to by executing another set of instructions. Each input may be provided from one or more of a number of sources, including data generated by one or more of the input devices 202, 203, data received from an external source across one of the networks 220, 202, data retrieved from one of the storage devices 206, 209 or data retrieved from a storage medium 225 inserted into the corresponding reader 212, all depicted in FIG. 2A. The execution of a set of the instructions may in some cases result in output of data. Execution may also involve storing data or variables to the memory 234.

The disclosed lottery arrangements use input variables 254, which are stored in the memory 234 in corresponding memory locations 255, 256, 257. The lottery arrangements produce output variables 261, which are stored in the memory 234 in corresponding memory locations 262, 263, 264. Intermediate variables 258 may be stored in memory locations 259, 260, 266 and 267.

Referring to the processor 205 of FIG. 2B, the registers 244, 245, 246, the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 240, and the control unit 239 work together to perform sequences of micro-operations needed to perform “fetch, decode, and execute” cycles for every instruction in the instruction set making up the program 233. Each fetch, decode, and execute cycle comprises:

-   -   (a) a fetch operation, which fetches or reads an instruction 231         from a memory location 228, 229, 230;     -   (b) a decode operation in which the control unit 239 determines         which instruction has been fetched; and     -   (c) an execute operation in which the control unit 239 and/or         the ALU 240 execute the instruction.

Thereafter, a further fetch, decode, and execute cycle for the next instruction may be executed. Similarly, a store cycle may be performed by which the control unit 239 stores or writes a value to a memory location 232.

Each step or sub-process in the processes of FIGS. 1 and 3 to 8 is associated with one or more segments of the program 233 and is performed by the register section 244, 245, 247, the ALU 240, and the control unit 239 in the processor 205 working together to perform the fetch, decode, and execute cycles for every instruction in the instruction set for the noted segments of the program 232.

The method of conducting an online lottery tournament may alternatively be implemented in dedicated hardware such as one or more integrated circuits performing the functions or sub functions of ticketing sales, organizing a tournament draw, determining winners of matches within the tournament draw, and determining a winner of the lottery tournament. Such dedicated hardware may include graphic processors, digital signal processors, or one or more microprocessors and associated memories.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram representation 300 of a lottery tournament conducted in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this simplified embodiment, the lottery includes eight tickets 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, and 316, each of which is an entry in the lottery tournament. A traditional lottery would involve selecting one of the tickets 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, and 316 at random, for example using a random number generator, to identify a winner. In contrast, the lottery illustrated in FIG. 3 provides a tournament in which the tickets compete against one another in an iterative knockout format to identify a winner.

In the example of FIG. 3, a tournament draw is organized among the entries in the lottery tournament, such that the eight tickets 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, and 316 are paired off into the following matches in a first round at time t1:

-   -   1. a first match 320 between tickets 302 and 304;     -   2. a second match 322 between tickets 306 and 308;     -   3. a third match 324 between tickets 310 and 312; and     -   4. a fourth match 326 between tickets 314 and 316.

The tournament draw is organized such that: the winner of the first match 320 competes against the winner of the second match 322 in a first match of a second round; and the winner of the third match 324 competes against the winner of the fourth match 326 in a second match of the second round. The tournament draw is further organized such that the winner of the first match of the second round competes against the winner of the second match of the second round in a first match of a third round. The winner of the first match of the third round is the winner of the lottery tournament 300.

The method determines a winner for each match in the first round. In the example shown, ticket 302 is the winner of the first match 320, ticket 308 is the winner of the second match 322, ticket 312 is the winner of the third match 324 and ticket 316 is the winner of the fourth match 326.

The method then pairs the winners from the first round of matches into a second round of matches at time t2:

-   -   5. a fifth match 328 between tickets 302 and 308; and     -   6. a sixth match 330 between tickets 312 and 316.

The method determines a winner for each match in the second round. In the example shown, ticket 302 is the winner of the fifth match 328 and ticket 312 is the winner of the sixth match 330. The method then pairs the winners from the second round of matches into a third round of a final match at time t3:

-   -   7. a seventh match 332 between tickets 302 and 314.

The method determines a winner for the match in the third round and that winner is declared the winner of the major prize in the lottery tournament. In this example, ticket 302 is declared the winner 334.

In one embodiment, prizes are distributed among the entries, dependent upon how far into the tournament each entry progressed. In one example, the winning entry of the lottery tournament receives all of the prize money or prize pool. In another example, prizes are allocated to winning entries of each round of the lottery tournament, with entries that win more matches within the lottery tournament being allocated greater prizes.

Each entry in the lottery tournament 300 is associated with ticketing information. The ticketing information includes a gaming token. The gaming tokens associated with the various entries are utilized to determine a winner of each match within the lottery tournament. The gaming token may be allocated automatically in a random fashion by a system used to sell entries in the lottery tournament. Alternatively, a purchaser of an entry may select a gaming token for each entry. In the example in which the game is Rock/Paper/Scissors, the gaming token associated with each entry corresponds to one of Rock/Paper/Scissors. When two entries compete against one another in a match of a round of the lottery tournament, the method compares the gaming tokens associated with the two entries against one another to determine a winner in accordance with the established rules of rock beats scissors, paper beats rock, and scissors beat paper. As indicated above, various procedures may be implemented to resolve matches in which the gaming tokens are the same, resulting in a “tied” match.

As the entries compete against one another, it is possible for multiple entries associated with the same gaming token to have different results, depending upon the gaming tokens associated with the entries against which the different entries are drawn.

In the example of FIG. 3, it is seen that entries 302 and 310 are each associated with the gaming token “rock”. In the first match 320, entry 302 associated with “rock” is drawn against entry 304 associated with “scissors” and entry 302 is determined to be the winner of the first match 320. In the third match 324, entry 310 associated with “rock” is drawn against entry 312 associated with “paper” and entry 312 is determined to be the winner of the third match 324. Ultimately, in the example of FIG. 3 entry 302 “rock” progresses to be the winner. Thus, it is evident that entries associated with the same gaming token can proceed differently through the tournament, depending on the tournament draw. Thus, a competitor in the lottery tournament can increase the chances of success by purchasing multiple entries associated with the same gaming token. Alternatively, the competitor can purchase multiple entries with different gaming tokens. The multiple entries may be drawn against one another in an initial round of matches or may otherwise compete against other entries in the lottery tournament.

The timing by which the tournament is performed may be altered for different implementations. In the example described above with reference to FIG. 3, each of the available positions in Round 1 is filled before the matches of Round 1 are decided. The results of each round may then be communicated to participants at regular intervals (e.g., 10 minutes) to give participants the opportunity to observe their progression through or departure from the tournament. FIG. 6 shows a similar example where the time taken to conduct a tournament involves 31 distinct time periods. Alternatively, actual game play may be held over until all positions in all matches are populated by participants, and then all matches may be executed by the gaming server, essentially simultaneously but nevertheless as a progressive tournament, and a single message of success or demise sent to the participants.

In another implementation, depicted in FIG. 9, individual matches in the rounds are performed as individual participants join a tournament. In FIG. 9, a tournament of 4 rounds between 16 participants is played. Each match in a round is played immediately at a time when the two participants are available. As will be seen from FIG. 9, this tournament then consumes 31 time intervals (like FIGS. 3 and 6), where the cumulative length of the tournament depends on how long it takes the 16th participant, at time 27, to join the tournament. This may be minutes, hours or days for example after the 1st participant. Once the 16th participant has joined, the last four time intervals may proceed at regular intervals (e.g., 10 minutes), or alternatively be performed sequentially, but essentially instantly courtesy of the tournament operation of the gaming server.

The manner in which the tournament draw is organized depends on the particular application. In one example, entries are drawn against one another based on the order of purchase. In such an implementation, a player may seek to improve the odds of success by purchasing multiple consecutive entries in the expectation that those entries will be drawn against one another and thus guarantee progress to the second round of the lottery tournament. For example, a single player may position participation to have entries in different sections (e.g., halves, quadrants of FIGS. 3, 6, 9) or so as to improve chances of success. In another example, a player is able to purchase a specific slot within the tournament draw. In one particular implementation, a player is able to view profile information associated with entries that have already been purchased in that instance of the lottery tournament. Such profile information may include information about the other entry holders, including frequency of playing in such tournaments and statistics relating to previous selection of gaming tokens in such tournaments. Thus, a player may study information relating to a purchaser of another entry and find that the purchaser of the other entry always selects “rock” in a tournament being run in conjunction with the “Rock/Paper/Scissors” game. The player may then purchase the slot in the draw next to that other purchaser and select a gaming token of “paper” in the expectation of beating the other purchaser in the first round of matches. As such, an element of skill may be applied by a player when aware that another particular player is competing or likely to compete in a tournament.

In another implementation, a player is able to purchase a slot in a second or later round of a tournament by paying a premium entry price. Such slots may be allocated when organizing the initial tournament draw and effectively provide the player with a “bye” in the first round of matches. In another implementation, the entries are organized randomly. Nevertheless, in spite of any random organization of entries, the ultimate results of the tournament arise from competition between individual player entries.

The winners of each round of matches may be determined in many ways, depending on the game or games associated with the lottery tournament. In one implementation, a different game is utilized for each round of matches of the tournament. In such an implementation, each entry is associated with a different gaming token for each potential round of matches or each gaming phase within the lottery tournament. In one particular implementation, a first game is used for a predefined number of preliminary rounds, in a first gaming phase, and a second game is used for a predefined number of final rounds, in a second gaming phase. In one arrangement, the second game is used in the final round to determine a winner of the lottery tournament. In one example of such an arrangement, the players associated with the competing entries in the final round of matches are able to select gaming tokens for the final round between the second last round of matches and the final round match. In another arrangement, gaming tokens may be selectable after every round or after each “phase” of a tournament. A phase may correspond to one or more predefined rounds of matches. Different phases may include different numbers of rounds, depending upon the particular tournament and the implementation. In such an arrangement, the participants may be able to view the gaming token(s) used in the previous round(s) by the next scheduled opponent and use that knowledge to select their next gaming token.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a lottery tournament system 400 in accordance with the present disclosure. The lottery tournament system 400 includes a lottery tournament server 410 coupled to a communications network 490. The communications network 490 may include, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, and wireless and fixed line telecommunications services, or any combination thereof.

The lottery tournament server 410 includes a ticketing module 415, a database 420, an authentication server 425, a gaming engine 430, a tournament module 440, and a finance module 435, each of which is coupled to a communications bus 405. The lottery tournament server 410 further includes one or more processors, not shown, which may reside in one or more of the ticketing module 415, database 420, authentication server 425, gaming engine 430, tournament module 440, or finance module 435, or be coupled to the bus 405, for executing instructions of one or more applications to implement the method of the present disclosure. The instructions for the applications may be stored, for example, in one or more memory modules located within the lottery tournament server 410 or coupled thereto. The ticketing module 415 executes computer program code for managing the sale of entries in each instance of a lottery tournament. Requests for entries are received at the lottery tournament server 410 via the communications network 440. The ticketing module 415 interfaces with the tournament module 440 to ensure that an appropriate number of tickets is available for sale for each relevant instance of the lottery tournament. The tournament module 440 is responsible for organizing a tournament draw of matches for the tournament, based on the number of entries and other constraints that might apply to the particular tournament. Such constraints may depend on the profiles of the players that purchase entries in the tournament. The constraints may also include the number of gaming phases and the predefined game(s) associated with the lottery tournament. The tournament module 440 handles the organizing of the matches for each round of the tournament and interfaces with the gaming engine 430 to identify the winner of each match in the tournament.

The database 420 stores information relating to players who purchase entries in each lottery tournament. The database 420 creates an historical record of statistics associated with each player. These statistics can optionally be provided to other players or potential players in subsequent lottery tournaments, to assist in game play.

The authentication server 425 validates players to provide a level of confidence that each player is legitimate. The authentication server 425 may, for example, check Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, or validate credit cards or other online payment accounts, such as PayPal. The authentication server 425 may also perform validation checks of players by auditing information available through other online resources, such as social media networks, including My Space, Facebook, and Twitter. Such online resources assist in validating players by providing references among players, which enables players to have a high degree of confidence that other players are real and that the lottery tournament is legitimate.

The provision of player statistics and player validation assist in providing collective security to the lottery tournament in that a group of players, at least known to each other through game play, but potentially personally known to each other, can participate in a tournament against each other with the tournament results being posted to all participants, for example via a tournament website. Through potentially personal knowledge of winners (and losers), participants can be re-assured as to the legitimacy of the tournament and prizes award therefrom.

The lottery tournament system 400 also shows a club/society server 445 coupled to the communications network 490. In one implementation, the lottery tournament server 410 delivers a lottery tournament to a remote club server 445 via the communications network 490. In one implementation, the operator of the lottery server 410 receives payment for delivering and conducting the lottery tournament. In one example, the payment includes a portion of a prize pool raised from the sale of entries in the lottery tournament.

In one example, the club associated with the club server 445 wants to run a fundraising event for the members of the club. The club advertises the fundraising event to members of the club through the club/society server 445. Members of the club buy entries in the fundraising event by sending requests to the ticketing module 415 via the club server 445 and the communications network 490. The ticketing module 415 issues tickets in the fundraising event to the members in response to the requests. In one arrangement, the ticketing module sends ticketing information to the members via an electronic message, such as an email or a Short Message Service (SMS) message. As described above, such an electronic ticket may be viewed on a display of a computing device, such as the display device 214 of the computing device of FIG. 2A, or printed on a printer 215 as described with reference to FIG. 2A. Once a prescribed number of tickets has been sold or a predefined time has arrived, the tournament server 410 runs the tournament. Winners of each round of the tournament are propagated from the tournament server 410 to the club server 445. Members of the club that have purchased entries in the fundraising event compete against one another in accordance with a tournament draw organized by the tournament module 440. Ultimately, a winner of the fundraising event is determined through the knockout tournament.

The tournament system 400 also shows a plurality of computing devices coupled to the communications network 490, including a portable computing device 460, a personal computer 465, and a mobile telephone 470. The portable computing device may include, for example, a smartphone, a mobile telephone handset, a laptop computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). Each of the portable computing device 460, the personal computer 465, and the mobile telephone 470 can be utilized to access a lottery tournament being run by the lottery tournament server 410. Alternatively, the portable computing device 460, the personal computer 465, and the mobile telephone 470 can be utilized to access a club/society server 445 or similar server that is promoting a lottery tournament, wherein the execution of the lottery tournament is performed by the lottery tournament server 410.

The lottery tournament system 400 further shows a government/enterprise server 485 that is coupled to the communications network. Depending on the auditing requirements of the jurisdiction(s) in which a lottery tournament is being conducted, relevant data is transmitted from the lottery tournament server 410 to the government/enterprise server 485 to satisfy any auditing requirements.

Prior knowledge of a prospective opponent's gaming token(s) provides a participant with an unfair advantage in the tournament. Accordingly, in one implementation the government/enterprise server 485, (or another similar server,) acts as a trusted 3^(rd) party that holds the gaming tokens and keeps the gaming tokens secret while the other tickets are being sold. In one particular arrangement, the gaming tokens are encrypted to increase security. The details of the entries are only released once the entry selling period has expired, or until the lottery tournament has commenced.

In one arrangement, a person wanting to enter a lottery tournament accesses a user interface of a computing device to send a request to the gaming server 410. The gaming server receives the request and provides an entry. In one implementation, the gaming server 410 communicates with the enterprise/government server 485 or another trusted server to store information pertaining to the entry until the ticket selling period has expired. The information pertaining to the entry may include, for example, the gaming token or gaming tokens associated with each entry. This provides a higher level of confidence that the gaming tokens remain secret and subsequent purchasers of entries in the lottery are not able to gain an unfair advantage. In one particular arrangement, the enterprise/government server 485 or other trusted server on which information pertaining to the entry is being stored utilises one or more encryption techniques to ensure that the information is protected.

As indicated above, each lottery tournament is associated with one or more games, wherein the games determine the winners of each round of the lottery tournament dependent upon a gaming token associated with each entry in the tournament. Entries in the tournament compete against one another in a knockout tournament to determine a winner of the lottery tournament. The knockout format of the tournament draw ensures that there is always a winner of the lottery tournament and the winner is determined by the gaming token or tokens associated with the entries.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram representation 500 of a lottery tournament conducted in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this simplified embodiment, the lottery includes nine tickets 502, 503, 504, 506, 507, 508, 510, 512, and 514, each of which is an entry in the lottery tournament.

In the example of FIG. 5, a lottery tournament is conducted in association with a gaming algorithm that is adapted to identify a winner from three entries, being a limited number of a plurality of entries in the lottery tournament. Accordingly, the tournament module 440 organises the entries into a tournament draw, such that the tickets 502, 503, 504, 506, 507, 508, 510, 512, and 514 are grouped into the following matches in a first round at time t1:

-   -   1. a first match 520 among tickets 502, 503, and 504;     -   2. a second match 522 among tickets 506, 507, and 508; and     -   3. a third match 524 among tickets 510, 512, and 514.

The tournament draw is organised such that: the winner of the first match 520 competes against the winner of the second match 522 and the winner of the third match 524 in a first match of a second round at time t2. The winner of the first match of the second round is the winner of the lottery tournament 500.

The method determines a winner for each match in the first round, using the gaming engine 430 and the tournament module 440. In the example shown, ticket 502 is the winner of the first match 520, ticket 508 is the winner of the second match 522, and ticket 512 is the winner of the third match 524.

Thus, the first match of the second round at time t2 is:

-   -   4. a fourth match 526 among tickets 502, 508, and 512.

The method determines a winner for the fourth match 526 and that winner is declared the winner of the major prize in the lottery tournament. In this example, ticket 512 is declared the winner 528. It will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art that the examples of FIGS. 3, 5, and 8 may be readily scaled to handle many different numbers of entries, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Further, the method of the present disclosure is readily adaptable to handle the grouping of any number of entries in each match of the tournament, provided that the gaming algorithm that is used is capable of distinguishing a winner from among the entries of each match based on the gaming tokens associated with the entries.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram representation of a lottery tournament that utilises a gaming algorithm for distinguishing between two entries, such that the tournament draw includes a plurality of matches scheduled between two competing entries. In the example of FIG. 6, the tournament draw includes provision for 16 entries in a first round of matches at time t1. The positions, or slots, in the first round of the tournament draw at time t1 are labelled from 1 to 16, the positions in the second round of the tournament draw at time t2 are labelled from 17 to 24, the positions in the third round of the tournament draw at time t3 are labelled 25 to 28, the positions in the fourth round of the tournament draw at time t4 are labelled 29 and 30, and the position of the winner in the final round at time t5 is labelled 31.

In one implementation, the method of conducting a lottery tournament in accordance with the present disclosure enables a participant to select an available position in the tournament draw to be occupied by an entry purchased by that participant. Thus, the first participant may be able to choose any one of positions 1 to 16 to be occupied by the entry associated with that first participant. Participants are then free to select, from the available positions, positions that correspond to luck numbers, birthdays, etc. Participants may also choose to improve the chances of success in the lottery tournament by purchasing multiple entries next to one another, to ensure that the participant progresses to the second round of matches. An alternative strategy is to purchase entries at different ends of the tournament draw, again with the aim of improving the chances that one entry will be successful. As illustrated with reference to FIG. 3, it is possible for different entries with the same gaming tokens to have different levels of success in the lottery tournament.

FIG. 6 also illustrates the provision of a bye within the tournament draw. In particular, positions 7, 8, 15, and 16 are shown in dotted lines, to indicate that those positions are not occupied. Byes can be used in circumstances in which some of the entries in a lottery tournament remain unsold. Thus, in the example of FIG. 6, if only 14 of the 16 available entries are sold, then two entries (one each from positions 7 and 15) are promoted automatically to the second round of matches in positions 20 and 24, having enjoyed the benefit of a bye in the first round. Byes can also be utilised to sell higher priced tickets, guaranteeing entry to the second round of matches.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a ticket 700 corresponding to an entry in a lottery tournament having three gaming phases. The ticket 700 is associated with ticketing information, which in this example includes a ticket identifier 710, a purchaser profile 720, a first gaming token 730, a second gaming token 740, and a third gaming token 740. The second gaming token 740 and third gaming token 750 are shown in dotted lines to indicate that multiple gaming tokens are optional and depend on the particular implementation. The ticket identifier is a unique identifier used by an operator of the lottery tournament to track entries, arrange a schedule of matches, and distribute prizes. As indicated above, a simple ticket identifier may be implemented using a series of consecutive integers. More complex ticket identifiers may be used to deter counterfeiters. In the example of FIG. 7, the ticket identifier is a 6 character alphanumeric string.

The purchaser profile 720 is optional. In the example of FIG. 7, the purchaser profile includes a Purchaser's Name field and a Contact Details field. Depending on the application, the purchaser profile may optionally include information relating to previous tournament entries and prizes, favourite gaming tokens, and a registered player number. The purchaser profile may also include links to one or more social networking sites, or an email account.

As indicated above, the ticket 700 shown in FIG. 7 is for an entry in a tournament that includes three gaming phases. In this example, the first gaming phase and the third gaming phase utilise a gaming method as described in WO 2010/015039 A1 (Anthony Robert Farah), wherein a player enters a setup grid and a table of guessing moves. Accordingly, the first gaming token 730 and the third gaming token 750 each include a setup grid and a table of guessing moves. In this example, the second gaming phase utilises the game of rock/paper/scissors. The second gaming token 740 includes the player's gaming token for the rock/paper/scissors game, which in this case is “Rock”.

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram representation of a lottery tournament 800 that includes three gaming phases, wherein each phase includes a single round of matches. The gaming phases are indicated by vertical dotted lines P1, P2, and P3. In the example of FIG. 8, the first gaming phase includes a round of matches in which each match is contested by three entries. The second gaming phase includes a round of matches in which each match is contested by two entries. The third gaming phase includes a single match between two entries to determine a winner of the lottery tournament.

The tournament draw of FIG. 8 includes provision for 12 entries in a first round of matches at time t1. The positions, or slots, in the first round of the tournament draw at time t1 are labelled from 1 to 12, wherein entries in slots 1, 2, and 3 compete in a first match, entries in slots 4, 5, and 6 compete in a second match, entries in slots 7, 8, and 9 compete in a third match, and entries in slots 10, 11, and 12 compete in a fourth match. The game utilised in the first phase can be any predefined gaming algorithm that is capable of identifying a winner from three competing entries, based on a first gaming token associated with each of those competing entries.

The winner of the first match advances to slot 13 in the second round of matches, the winner of the second match advances to slot 14 in the second round of matches, the winner of the third match advances to slot 15 in the second round of matches, and the winner of the fourth match advances to slot 16 in the second round of matches. In the example of FIG. 8, the second round of matches are in the second gaming phase at time t2, wherein each match is contested by two entries. The lottery tournament 800 shows that in the second round, entries in slots 13 and 14 compete against one another, and entries in slots 15 and 16 compete against one another. The game utilised in the second phase can be any predefined gaming algorithm that is capable of identifying a winner from two competing entries, based on a second gaming token associated with each of those competing entries.

The third gaming phase in the lottery tournament 800 includes a final match at time t3 between the winners of the second round of matches. The winner of the match between entries 13 and 14 advances to slot 17 in the third round match and the winner of the match between entries 15 and 16 advances to slot 18 in the third round match. The game utilised in the third phase can be any predefined gaming algorithm that is capable of identifying a winner from two competing entries, based on a third gaming token associated with each of those competing entries. The winner of the third round match is identified as the winner of the lottery tournament in slot 19. In one arrangement, the gaming algorithm used in the second and third gaming phases is the same, so optionally the second gaming token may be utilised for the second and third gaming phases and a third gaming token is not needed. Alternatively, a second gaming token and a third gaming token are provided for the second and third gaming phases.

As indicated above, each gaming phase may include one or more rounds of matches decided by the same gaming method. Different gaming phases may use the same gaming methods or different gaming methods, depending on the application and the structure of the lottery tournament

The arrangements described are applicable to the computer and data processing industries and particularly for the gaming and lottery industries.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention, and modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.

In the context of this specification, the word “comprising” means “including principally but not necessarily solely” or “having” or “including”, and not “consisting only of”. Variations of the word “comprising”, such as “comprise” and “comprises” have correspondingly varied meanings. 

1. A lottery tournament server comprising: a memory for storing data and a computer program; a processor coupled to said memory for executing said computer program stored in said memory; a ticketing module being a component of the computer program and executable by the processor for issuing a plurality of entries in a lottery tournament in response to a plurality of requests received via a communications link from at least one remote computing device, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information, said ticketing information including at least one gaming token selected from a limited number of gaming tokens; a database formed in the memory for storing player information and ticketing information relating to each entry in said lottery tournament; a tournament module being a component of the computer program and executable by the processor to organise a tournament draw among said plurality of entries, said tournament draw providing a schedule of knockout matches between said entries, wherein said schedule includes at least one round of matches, each match being a contest between a limited plurality of said plurality of entries; and a gaming engine being a component of the computer program and executable by the processor in conjunction with said stored ticketing information to determine, for each round of matches, a winner for each match in said round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm associated with the tournament draw and said gaming tokens, wherein each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of the matches in said schedule, from which the gaming engine identifies a winner of a final round match of said schedule as a winner of said lottery tournament.
 2. The lottery tournament server according to claim 1, wherein said ticketing module sends an electronic ticket corresponding to an entry in said lottery tournament to a remote computing device associated with the participant when issuing said entry.
 3. The lottery tournament server according to claim 1, wherein the gaming module further operates to communicate results of individual matches to corresponding remote computing devices to report to corresponding participants of progress through the tournament.
 4. The lottery tournament server according to claim 3, wherein the gaming module operates to conduct individual matches when: (i) all entries in the tournament are populated; or (ii) as matching entries are populated.
 5. The lottery tournament server according to claim 1, wherein the gaming token associated with each entry is used in each round in which the entry is active.
 6. The lottery tournament server according to claim 1, wherein the limited plurality of entries in a round comprises one of two or three entries.
 7. The lottery tournament server according to claim 1, wherein the tokens comprise a limited plurality of elements, the limited plurality having a number in the range 3 to
 9. 8. The lottery tournament server according to claim 1, wherein said schedule includes at least two rounds of matches.
 9. The lottery tournament server according to claim 1, wherein each combination of a gaming token associated with an entry and a position of that entry in the tournament draw represents a portion of a winning key distributed among said plurality of entries, said winning key determining progress of each entry in said lottery tournament.
 10. The lottery tournament server according to claim 9, wherein said winning key determines the winner of said lottery tournament, and further wherein said winning key enables verification of a winner of each match in said tournament, based on portions of said winning key corresponding to the entries associated with that match.
 11. A computer-implemented method of conducting a lottery tournament among a plurality of entries, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information, said ticketing information including at least one gaming token, said method comprising the steps of: organising a tournament draw among said plurality of entries, said tournament draw providing a schedule of knockout matches for said entries, wherein said schedule includes at least one round of matches, each match being a contest between a plurality of said entries; for each round of matches, determining a winner for each match in said round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm and said gaming tokens, wherein each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of matches in said schedule; and identifying a winner of a final round match of said schedule as a winner of said lottery tournament.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said ticketing information further includes profile information associated with a purchaser of said entry.
 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said tournament draw includes at least one gaming phase, each gaming phase comprising at least one round of matches and each gaming phase being associated with a predefined gaming algorithm for determining winners of matches within said gaming phase.
 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said ticketing information includes a gaming token corresponding to each one of said gaming phases.
 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said tournament draw includes: a first gaming phase comprising at least one round of preliminary matches and associated with a first predefined gaming algorithm, and a second gaming phase comprising at least one round of final matches and associated with a second predefined gaming algorithm.
 16. A lottery tournament system comprising: at least one remote computing device; and a lottery tournament server for conducting a lottery tournament among a plurality of entries, wherein said server includes: a memory for storing data and a computer program; a processor coupled to said memory for executing said computer program stored in said memory; a gaming application forming part of said computer program, said gaming application including instructions for performing the steps of: receiving a plurality of requests for entries in said lottery tournament from said at least one computing device; issuing a plurality of entries in a lottery tournament in response said plurality of requests, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information, said ticketing information including at least one gaming token; organising a tournament draw among said plurality of entries, said tournament draw providing a schedule of knockout matches for said entries, wherein said schedule includes at least one round of matches, each match being a contest between a plurality of said entries; for each round of matches, determining a winner for each match in said round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm and said gaming tokens, wherein each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of matches in said schedule; and identifying a winner of a final round match of said schedule as a winner of said lottery tournament.
 17. The lottery tournament system according to claim 16, further comprising an enterprise server coupled to said lottery tournament server, wherein said enterprise server stores said entries during a ticket selling period.
 18. The lottery tournament system according to claim 17, wherein said enterprise server encrypts said stored entries.
 19. A computer-implemented method of utilising a winning key distributed among a plurality of entries to conduct a lottery tournament among said entries, wherein each entry is associated with ticketing information, said ticketing information including at least one gaming token, said method comprising the steps of: organising a tournament draw among said plurality of entries, said tournament draw providing a schedule of matches for said entries, wherein said schedule includes at least one round of matches, each match being a contest between a plurality of said entries, and further wherein each combination of a gaming token associated with an entry and a position of that entry in the tournament represents a portion of said winning key; and identifying a winner of said lottery tournament based on said winning key.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein identifying said winner comprises the steps of: for each round of matches, determining a winner for each match in said round, based on a predefined gaming algorithm and said gaming tokens, wherein each determined winner proceeds to a subsequent round of matches in said schedule; and identifying a winner of a final round match of said schedule as a winner of said lottery tournament. 